The following are novel air fresheners that can be used by the chemically sensitive.
Remember that chemically sensitive folks are all different, so not everyone can use all of the options here. Be sure to do a small test first to see how you do.
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1. Simmering Recipes for the Home
I tried various natural DIY air fresheners including the popular Pinterest post on simmering vanilla, rosemary, and lemon.
This method was “so-so” at producing a noticeable aroma (if you grate the lemon rind before adding it you will get more lemon scent out).
I also tried simmering black tea with spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg), which worked, but it was mild.
Mild can be good for the chemically sensitive! But unless you have low humidity I would not do this again (or monitor your humidity).
2. Food-Based Aromas for the Home
If you do not do well with simmering spices to create aromas, but need to have your house smelling good, you can brew coffee or bake cookies in the oven.
This is a wonderful and safe way to add that feel-good feeling to a house that won’t likely trigger anyone’s allergies.
Potted herbs like basil could also produce a nice aroma if you have a good amount of it at full growth. It’s not very noticeable for many people.
Other herbs like thyme and oregano have even less of an aroma.
3. Wood and Plant-Based Aromas for the Home
Eucaplyptus
Dried eucalyptus branches have some aroma to them.
Sweetgrass
I personally like using sweetgrass, which is a traditional Native American plant, that has a beautiful aroma to it. This is more fragrant than eucalyptus.
Cedar wood
A natural “mothball” that protects clothing and also produces a pleasant aroma is real cedarwood placed around clothes in the closet.
Folks have said just the wood is enough to protect the clothes from moths.
If you really like the smell of cedar, you can add cedarwood essential oil to the wood. Wood holds on to essential oils nicely. You can also add an essential oil mix with a cedar base.
Plants
I have also tried buying the most scented plants that are native to my area, there is a bit of a scent from them, but even after adding the four most odourous plants to a small room it was not that obvious for me. If you are more sensitive to smells than me this could be better.
Also watch your humidity level from adding many plants.
Flowers
I also usually have cut flowers in the house, sometimes you can find ones that have a noticeable scent when you walk by them, like some roses.
4. Natural Beeswax Candles
Beeswax candles are an alternative to scented candles.
Even soy candles are not always suitable for the chemically sensitive.
But beeswax candles have a gentle and more subtle natural aroma that is fine for most chemically sensitive folks.
Some beeswax candles have essential oils added for more of a scent (and this could bother more people).
5. Removing Malodors, Naturally without Scents
You may also consider removing odors instead of adding scents.
Enzyme Cleaners to Break Down Odors
Strategies like using enzyme cleaners to properly and safely break down and degrade pet odors (and other problematic odors) is a great way to get a proper clean.
Clean has no smell, and even if you are staging the house to sell it, no odor could be a selling point.
Sorbent Materials (Absorb Odors)
To absorb odors, I like charcoal sachets used around the house.
Zeolite absorbs odors and it can be used as a powder that is vacuumed up, or as a spray (I’m not a proponent of those methods because it’s not safe to breathe in zeolite that has been sprayed or dispersed around a room). It is safer to use the little pebble form and put that into sachets.
Many chemically sensitive people have recommended Deoderoc, which is also made of natural minerals (possibly zeolite) and is reported to work well.
Mineral Technologies to Break Down Odors
1. ZorbX is an interesting product. They don’t mention any ingredient which is normally a red flag for me. By reading the patent one could guess that it is made of zinc salt of ricinoleic acid, and a solubility promoter including sodium iminodisuccinate, and water.
Some versions of Zorbx are unscented though the patent says they might contain antifungals (which I have had problems with in the past). Not knowing what’s in it and if it contains an antifungal makes me a little wary, however, I go by my own reactions to products.
2. EnviroKlenze is a company that makes many odor-neutralizing blocks and liquids made of minerals and metals. They contain magnesium hydroxide/magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, and titanium oxide.
6. Essential Oils for the Chemically Sensitive?
Many people with chemical sensitivities don’t tolerate essential oils but some do.
Know that this can be an accessibility barrier.
(If you are scenting a public space or selling a house this may not be the best natural air freshener if you want to make it accessible to everyone, though it is more likely folks do well with essential oils compared to synthetic scents).
How to use them
If you do do well with them, I would not recommend using nebulizers and diffusers because they create high levels of PM 2.5 and VOCs.
But instead use a spray bottle (while wearing a mask ideally) and spray down fabrics and walls, or passive forms of dispersion (I use this ceramic rose).
High quality brands
The highest quality brands do GC-MS testing, Plant Therapy is a really good brand that also offers organic oils.
Eden’s Garden is less expensive and doesn’t offer GC-MS testing but I feel good using it.
Tips for the chemically sensitive (based on personal experience):
- The essential oils that are best for the chemically sensitive, in my experience working with chemically sensitive folks (and being chemically sensitive myself) tend to be food-based scents like vanilla, chocolate, coffee, camomile.
- I would not start with citrus, peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, or Balsam of Peru.
- I would not start with spice oils or conifer oils.
- I would not start with something I have a negative connotation with, but with something I have a positive connotation with.
- I would also start with very diluted options.
But individual tolerance varies greatly.
To make your own non-toxic lavender-citrus room spray (my favorite scent of all time) I recommend mixing:
- Essential oil blend: 12 drops Edens’s Garden “Joy”
- Vodka (acts as an emulsifier): 1 tablespoon
- Distilled water: 3 tablespoons
- Add to a spray bottle and shake before spraying
Related Posts:
- Non-toxic alternatives to Febreeze
- Cleaning products for the chemically sensitive
- Removing Febreeze, smoke, and other chemical residues
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
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